Steven Universe: Black Hole Chapter 2, a steven universe fanfic

*****DISCLAIMER*****

None of the Steven Universe characters belong to me. This story is purely a work of fiction, purposed for entertainment. Also, some content could be seen as borderline disturbing. I guess my imagination is like that. :3 (Yeah, I know I copy/pasted that, but it still kinda applies!)

Enjoy!

Steven Universe: Black Hole pt. 2

The Emptiness

Steven sat on the couch, holding Pearl's gem. The Amethyst they found was bubbled, and placed deep within the temple. Garnet said there may be a way for her to track down Black Diamond, but she couldn't yet be sure. Steven felt trapped, and sad. He felt the overwhelming sensation that this was all his fault. Garnet constantly tried to tell him it wasn't. That he was innocent. He felt like he needed to connect. To talk. He got up, and walked to the door. He placed Pearl's gem in his pocket, and stared out at the beach. He sighed, contemplating whether or not this is the right choice to make. Yes. It was the only choice he had.

He jogged over to the van on the beach, where Greg was sound asleep in the back of the van. Steven poked his leg, and Greg stirred. He opened his eyes, drowsily, and looked at Steven standing before him in the cold chill of the moon's light.

"What's up?" Greg greeted, tired. "Why are you still awake?" Greg slowly sat up, and rubbed his eyes of sleep.

"Dad," Steven began. "I need you to drive me to the farm, please."

"Why?"

"I...I think Peridot and Lapis can help. I at least need to let them know." Greg sighed.

"Look, I know it's not really my place to argue, but I don't think those two really need to be involved." Steven looked at his dad with glistening, sorrowful eyes. Greg thought about this for a moment. He's been through a lot. He thought. He deserves some new communication. Greg nodded, and climbed up to the front of the van. Steven hopped in the passenger seat, and the two drove off into the night.

The two arrived on the dirt path that led into the barn. Steven could already hear the sounds of laughter from Peridot and Lapis. He thanked Greg, and got out of the van. He walked into the barn, seeing that Peridot and Lapis were playing what seemed to be some sort of card game.

"Do you have a...3 heart?" Lapis asked. Peridot looked at her cards, and smiled mischievously.

"Nope!" Peridot replied, and poked Lapis on the forehead. Lapis rubbed the spot, and looked down at her cards again. Peridot turned, and saw Steven standing in the doorway. "Steven!" she greeted. "You wanna play? We're playing what is known as 'poker.' At least, I think we're playing it right." Peridot looked at her cards, a look of focus on her face. Lapis looked at Steven, and a worried expression molded her features.

"Steven?" Lapis asked, seriously concerned. "Are you alright?" Steven stood there, and walked over to the table. Peridot saw Steven's demeanor, and began putting the cards away.

"You look tired." she commented.

"I can't sleep." he replied.

"You can sleep here, if you want. My barn is your barn!" Peridot said, letting out a nervous chuckle. Steven smirked dryly.

"Thanks, you two. But, that's not why I came here." This made the two gems confused. "What do you know about Black Diamond?" Steven asked, looking up. Peridot dropped her cards, and stared at Steven with wide eyes. Lapis simply looked at Steven lightheartedly.

"The myth among Homeworld Gems? About an evil Diamond that snatches up the bad Gems?" Lapis asked, laughing. Peridot, however, was dead serious.

"Have you seen her?" she asked. Steven nodded grimly.

"She...did something to Pearl." he added. Peridot covered her mouth, and stared at the center of the table.

"Do you have her gem?" Lapis asked. Steven took out Pearl's gem, placing it on the table. Peridot's terrified gaze redirected towards the dulled gemstone, letting out a little gasp as it hit the wood surface. She picked it up, reluctantly, and looked it over.

"She can't reform." Steven said.

"I know." Peridot said. She looked at Steven with the eyes of a scared deer. "None of them could." Lapis looked at both of them as if they were insane.

"What?" Lapis asked.

"I thought it was all just myths, like you." Peridot said, looking at Lapis. "But if it's all true, then that means Pearl won't be able to reform, and that Black Diamond will stop at nothing until her job is completed."

"Job? What job?" Steven asked. Peridot looked at him, curling up into a ball.

"Her job to 'free' all gems." Peridot said. Steven took a deep breath.

"We have a fully 'freed' gem back at the temple." he said. Peridot slowly looked back at him.

"You...took it into the house?" she asked, her voice rising. Steven nodded. Peridot approached him. "You took it INTO THE HOUSE?!"

"Why is that bad?" Steven asked.

"Because, just because her 'subjects' are bubbled doesn't mean Black Diamond's energy isn't there! She can track it down!" she thought for a moment. "She can track you down." she said to herself. She bolted up the ladder, and took Pearl's gem with her. Lapis looked up at her, then at Steven.

"What now?" Steven asked.

"Steven, you need to get as far away from this planet as possible! Right now!" Peridot yelled.

"But, how do I beat Black Diamond?" he asked. Peridot stopped, and looked over the edge of the balcony.

"Beat her? I'd be surprised if you survived her!" Steven stared at her, and then began to walk out of the barn. Lapis grabbed his shoulder. He looked up at her, stopping.

"Steven," she began, thinking of what to say. "Just...be careful." Steven patted her hand, and hugged her, before running back to the van.

As Steven and Greg drove down the night road, Steven wondered if he should let Connie know. It would be nice to have someone to fight alongside, and Connie is good with a sword. Swords are ten times better than shields. Steven was dropped off back at the house, where Garnet and Amethyst were waiting. Steven then remembered why this was all a very urgent situation, and ran up the steps.

"Guys!" he said. "We need to get that gem out of the house!" Garnet nodded, and held out the gem to Steven. Steven didn't expect her to use her future vision again, but was glad she saved time.

"What should we do with it?" Amethyst asked.

"She already knows we're here, so might as well go somewhere different." Garnet replied. "Leave the gem here." The three of them left the gem on the porch, and walked over to the Warp Pad. They warped over to the Galaxy Warp, out of Black Diamond's reach. As far as they knew.

They sat for a good ten minutes before one of the warps was activated. They prepared for a battle, but it was Peridot, who stood and held Pearl's gem. She looked at Steven, and held it out to him, a blank expression plastered on her face.

"I fixed it." she said. Steven looked at her, confused.

"Fixed it?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure." she replied. Steven took the gem, clearly getting excited by this turn of events.

"But, how?" Amethyst asked. Peridot chuckled nervously.

"Well, Pearls usually form in saltwater. I just had to soak it in that for a while." she said, matter-of-factly.

"Thank you so much, Peridot! I didn't even know this was possible." Steven said, sincere.

"Neither did I." Peridot said. "It was literally the only option I had in mind." Peridot bowed, and then turned back towards the warp from which she came from.

"Peridot." Garnet said. Peridot stopped suddenly, and turned around to face the group again. She seemed a bit nervous for some strange reason. Garnet stared at her for a few seconds, before smiling. "Thank you." Peridot nodded. She walked back onto the pad, and warped away, quickly. Garnet grabbed Steven's hand firmly. Steven was surprised by this, and didn't know what the reasoning for it was.

"What's wro-" Steven began.

"Steven, we need to get out of here, right now." Garnet said, panicking.

"What? Why?" Amethyst asked, equally as confused.

"Peridot didn't fix the gem!" Garnet said, but was interrupted when the warp pad activated once again. They readied their defenses once more, preparing to attack, but saw that it was Lapis, holding Peridot in her arm. Lapis walked over, and grabbed the gem. Garnet clearly seemed a bit relieved, but Steven was still quite confused.

"Lapis, what are you doing?!" Peridot asked, terrified.

"What were you doing?" Lapis retorted, and looked at Steven. "She said that she just gave it to you so that 'Black Diamond' could find you. Real or not, I won't let anything bad happen to you, Steven." Steven smiled, touched by such a thoughtful and generous act, yet this moment of joy was slaughtered when Lapis chucked the gem into the ocean below.

"Lapis!" Steven exclaimed. "Black Diamond took her energy out of there!"

"Oh." Peridot said, even more scared than before, as she knew that the Crystal Gems must be extremely mad at her.

"Even so," Lapis said. "We can't take any chances."

"So, can we go now?" Peridot asked frantically.

"Where else are we supposed to go, though? Black Diamond already knows where we are." Amethyst asked. Everyone except for Steven was thinking about a better location. Steven was looking over the edge of the spire, down at the churning waters below. Is her gem okay? He wondered. I hope it didn't crack. Or worse…

"Hey, Steven?" Amethyst asked, dull yet hopeful. Steven was snapped out of his thoughts. He turned around and looked at Amethyst. "Do you think Connie would let us stay at her place? Steven had completely forgotten about Connie! This was a perfect opportunity to get her to fight alongside them! But, then he thought: More like a perfect opportunity to get her killed. But, how would Black Diamond 'free' Connie? She has no gem. Or would she do something worse? Steven nodded, still lost in thought. He looked back down at the water, trying to find some hint of Pearl's gem. Nothing but foam and deep blue waves. Waves with sprinkles of moonlight scattered around, made to look like outer space. Steven would never go into outer space again.

Lapis and Peridot said they would stay at the barn for the time being, and try to work things out. "I'll make sure Peridot doesn't get...sidetracked." Lapis told Steven, just before they left for the farm. The Crystal Gems warped back to the house, and began walking over to Connie's place. They walked a considerable distance, which came as a surprise to Steven. He'd always been driven there by his dad, and he never really thought about how it would be walking to her house. He certainly didn't expect to walk for 40 minutes before even seeing her house. Garnet was the one to knock on their door, and it took a mere minute before Connie answered it. She still seemed a bit sleepy, but was clearly waking up a bit. A surge of energy seemed to rush through her as she saw Steven, though.

"Steven!" she exclaimed, gleefully. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks!"

"It's kind of a long story, Connie. Is it alright if we sleep here for the night?" Steven responded. Connie looked at them for a moment, and then nodded. The three of them entered the home, trying to be as quiet as possible, so as not to disturb Connie's parents. Connie pointed them towards the couch in the living room.

"There are some extra blankets in my bedroom, if you want me to get them out for you guys." she said. Garnet and Amethyst shook their heads politely, and proceeded to doze off on the floor. Connie began walking back to her room, but Steven tapped her shoulder.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" he asked quietly. "I have a lot I need to get off my chest."

"Can it wait 'til morning? I'm pretty tired right now, Steven." she replied. He stared at her blankly, then nodded. Connie walked back into her room, and Steven lied down on the couch, and curled into the fetal position, before drifting off to sleep. He didn't dream that night, but the black emptiness he experienced was essentially a nightmare for him.

Morning arrived as quick as a flick of a lightswitch, and it woke Steven up instantaneously. Connie walked into the living room, dressed up in her usual teal shirt and navy blue skirt. Steven sat up on the couch, his body still pleading for more rest.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Connie said kindly. Steven nodded in her direction, returning the greeting in a way.

"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Connie set down a plate on the end table beside the couch. It was a plate of eggs and toast.

"About…" Connie looked at the clock on the wall. "11:30. You must've gotten some good sleep." Steven chuckled a bit, and realized he hadn't even fully smiled in days now. Not since Pearl woke up. Pearl. He remembered his objective now: he had to get Pearl back. Connie left the room, and came back with another plate of her own. "Scoot." she said, and Steven moved on the couch towards his plate, making room for her. She sat down next to him, saying "Itadakimasu" before eating her plate.

"So, about last night," Steven began. "I have a lot to talk about."

"I'm all ears." Connie said, curious. Steven told her about how he accidentally freed Black Diamond, and how she caused great terror and expanded what seems to be her "plague." He told her about what happened to Pearl, taking note of Connie's shocked look as he described the details of that event. At that point, Connie set down her half-finished plate of breakfast. Steven finished with telling her about last night, and how he lost Pearl's gem.

"How am I going to recover it?" he asked. Connie looked at the floor, thinking. She then seemed to have an epiphany.

"Lapis Lazuli can control water, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Steven confirmed.

"Well," she began, "Just have her clear the area around the warp...thingy."

"The Galaxy Warp."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yep." Steven thought this plan over. It would certainly be very helpful. "But," he said. "After what happened with that whole ocean thing a few years ago, I don't think she'll really be up for it."

"Well, it shouldn't take much effort." she replied.

"I guess not." He thought about it some more, and saw this as a fairly foolproof plan. He nodded. "Good thinking, Connie." he congratulated happily. Connie smiled, and walked back into the dining room. Steven got up, feeling like he got up too fast, and walked into the dining room as well. Connie's dad was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Mr. Maheswaran." Steven greeted. Doug merely raised his mug to return the greeting. Connie took care of her plate, and then took Steven's. Steven thanked Connie for breakfast, and walked outside. It was a fairly nice day, marking a transition from spring to summer. Garnet was standing just outside the door.

"Good morning, Steven. Sleep well?" she asked. Steven shrugged, his hands in his pockets.

"Where's Amethyst?" he asked. Then it was Garnet's turn to shrug. "Well, we have to find her. What if something happened to her?"

"She's Amethyst, Steven." Garnet replied nonchalantly.

"That's my point." Steven said. Garnet stood for a minute, before walking into the house.

"Connie, we're going out. I'd think it best if you came with us." she said. Connie nodded, and walked to her bedroom, quickly coming back out with Rose's sword.

"I'll be back, Dad!" she said, standing in the doorway.

"Okay, sweetie. Be careful! I love you!" he called from the dining room.

"I love you, too!" she replied. She closed the door behind her. "I will be back, right?"

"So long as you stay with us, you should be fine." Garnet reassured. The three of them were off on their search for Amethyst.

They walked around for about half an hour, before deciding to ask Greg for another ride. However, once they got to the van, they noticed that Greg wasn't there. Steven felt panic begin to rise in his chest. Where did everyone go? They decided to stop by the house, walking for another few minutes before getting there. Once they got there, everything seemed fine. The house was surely as they left it. Except…

"What happened to the Amethyst gem?" Steven asked. The gem wasn't on the table where it was left. Garnet stood there for a moment, processing her environment. She then got a sudden shock, it seemed.

"Everyone to the temple." she said. The group walked to the temple's door, opening for Garnet. They hastily made their way towards the Crystal Heart. As they entered, they were all shocked at what they saw. All of the bubbled gems were gone. "Black Diamond must've tracked the gem down." Steven said. Garnet didn't respond, and merely stood there, frozen.

"But, how did she enter the temple in the first place?" Connie asked. Steven thought about it, then put the pieces together. Amethyst. Garnet sat down on the floor, staring up at where the gems were, and her mouth still frozen in a look of disbelief.

"Garnet, we need to leave." Steven said. "Black Diamond has Amethyst. It's only a matter of time-"

"She's already gone, Steven." Garnet said, drained of all emotion. She then grew angry. "It's all GONE!" she snapped.

"But we can still save her! She saved Steven." Connie said.

"That's because she gets entertainment out of it. She wants us to play her game. And it's a deadly one." Garnet said, sorrowful once more. "I won't play her game if it means having you die."

"Garnet, Steven and I can ha-"

"Connie." Steven interrupted. "I don't think she's talking to us." Garnet sat there, silently conversing with herself.

"We have to stop all of this. But it's not worth the risk! I won't let any of you die. Don't worry about it! Together we are strong. But separated we are safe. What do you mean?" Garnet paused for a moment. She then nodded. "At least let us get somewhere safe." She stood up, and walked out of the temple, Steven and Connie in tow. As they reached the living room, a sudden yellow beam cut through the house, and a glaring red light shone upon them. Garnet deployed her gauntlets, protecting the other two. A Roaming Eye hovered just above them. A loud, authoritative voice rang out from the Roaming Eye, and the three of them knew then that it was one of Yellow Diamond's.

"YOU THREE! YOU HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES AGAINST THE GREAT DIAMOND AUTHORITY. BOARD THE EYE OR BE EXECUTED!" said the voice, clearly belonging to a Ruby. Garnet looked as if she were about to tear that thing in half. Knowing her current state, she probably was. Steven jumped in front of her though, holding out his arms on either side of him.

"We surrender!" Steven declared. Garnet looked at him, bewildered. The Eye slowly descended, and the ramp deployed. The three of them stepped inside, and were frozen in shock. There were 5 Rubies inside, but they were clearly repurposed by Black Diamond. The ramp closed back up, and the Eye took off. How do I keep ending up in these situations? Steven thought. He looked at Garnet, who glared back at him. Connie then tapped him on the shoulder. The two leaned closer together, and Connie began to whisper in Steven's ear.

"So, these guys are controlled by Black Diamond, right?" Connie asked. Steven nodded. "Well, why don't we just team up and take them all down?"

"Because that would be completely pointless and would end very quickly." said all of the Rubies in unison. Steven marveled at the fact that they could hear them.

"Black Diamond?" Steven inquired.

"Speaking." the Rubies said. Steven had to think. He knew that Black Diamond could transfer her energy even through those that she's 'freed.' He had to be careful not to anger her.

"What have you done with my dad?" Steven asked.

"Your father?" the Rubies asked, turning towards Steven.

"I've not been near him, I'm afraid." said one of the Rubies. That Ruby walked over to Steven, while the rest turned back around and piloted. "He is the...human, yes?" Steven nodded. "Well, surely I would have no use for him." The Ruby walked back to her spot.

"Well, that's a relief." Steven said to himself, sarcastically. He still didn't know where or how his dad was.

They stayed there for about half an hour, until they finally landed. The ramp deployed, and Steven and Connie walked out. Garnet was about to start following, but the 5 Rubies blocked her path.

"Not you. You will stay here." said the Rubies. Garnet readied her gauntlets.

"I'm going with them, no matter what you say." Garnet threatened.

"Well, if you attack us, that would mean having to touch us." the Rubies retorted. Steven held his hand up.

"We'll be fine, Garnet. We know what to do in case of an emergency." Steven said, reassuringly.

"It's not like that, Steven. You know why I can't just let you leave."

"Garnet, please."

"I've done all I needed to for Steven. I would have no reason to free him, nor hold him captive." the Rubies said persuasively. Garnet looked at them angrily, before backing off. The ramp started to close back up, and Garnet looked at Steven just as they did. The Eye didn't lift off, which was certainly a good sign.

Steven and Connie began to trek through a large, open, rocky place. It was much like the Prime Kindergarten. As the two of them kept walking, they began to notice a few Kindergarten holes. They were glad that they were empty, but they were certainly much more on-edge. They kept walking. More holes began to appear. A loud, whirring noise could be heard, and their ears began to ring. They were walking up an incline, which came up to an open, clear area. They reached the top, and stopped in their tracks. There, lay before them, was a seemingly endless valley of Kindergarten holes and operational Injectors. Steven had never seen the Injectors work. They dug out circular holes, implanting gemstones into them, before climbing around like spiders to the next hole. There must have been millions of holes. And that was just for the empty ones. Steven couldn't imagine how many Injectors there were out there. The sun shone a bright white across the valley, and Steven had to put his forearm before his face to keep himself from going blind.

"What's going on, Steven?" Connie asked, terrified.

"Something very, very bad." he replied. Reluctantly, the two kept walking along the path, before coming to a rather large cave. Steven could see the glowing of gemstones from within. Instantly, Steven knew what this was. "Stay close to me, Connie." he said. Connie got up alongside him, which shocked him a bit. He didn't expect her to be so close. Regardless, the two of them walked into the giant mouth of the cave, as if some unfathomable monster was consuming them as they entered. It fit well. Steven and Connie walked up a set of stone stairs leading up to a large, circular area. Steven saw no sign of Black Diamond ever being there. He did, however, notice a large, dark hallway adjacent to them. Steven readied his shield, just in case. The hallway had no light at all.

"You think you can use your gem to light the way?" Connie asked. Steven nodded, and a beam of pink light projected from his belly as he lifted up his shirt. He kept it up by biting the bottom with his mouth, so that he could still use both of his hands if need be. Hesitantly, the two of them proceeded into the hall. It seemed to go on for miles. The ceiling was far above their heads. Fit for a Diamond, surely. As they got further along, Steven noticed black sludge on the walls and floor. It certainly seemed like the same sludge that Steven had vomited up, but smelled even worse. Like rotting meat. Connie covered her nose. As soon as they passed, a pained groan was heard from down the hall. They stopped. The noise echoed and reverberated around them, giving Steven flashbacks to his stay in the black hole. Steven tried to illuminate ahead of them, but saw only thick darkness blanketing their view. Connie readied her sword, both of them clearly spooked. They moved forward a bit, cautiously. After about a minute, a cough was audible. Steven just barely saw the figure of a Gem leaning against a wall. They stopped as soon as they did, Steven's light gently touching the arm and head of the Gem. They approached her slowly and silently. She turned towards them, and they froze in place. They couldn't quite discern what type of Gem it was, but it seemed to look like an Amethyst. Except, she seemed a little too…

"Oh no." Steven said. The stature and height matched her perfectly. How did she end up here?

"What?" Connie asked, silently. Amethyst then looked directly at them, yet didn't seem to notice. The light from Steven's gem showed that Amethyst was nearing the end of the process, depending on the speed of it. Amethyst stared at them, her expression completely blank. She then slowly backed away, receding into the darkness. Her footsteps were just barely audible as she disappeared. Steven walked forward, trying to catch up with Amethyst. Connie grabbed his forearm, holding him back. "Wait!" she said. Steven ripped his arm out of her grasp, and whipped around angrily.

"What, Connie?! That was Amethyst!" Steven snapped. Connie looked at him, confused.

"Amethyst?" Connie asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Amethyst was right there! She was the one coughing and making noise!"

"I didn't hear or see anything." Now it was Steven's turn to be confused. He slowly turned back around, and the two of them walked together down the hall.

More sludge. Connie coughed, and Steven looked at her to make sure she was okay. She seemed fine. A bit on edge, but fine. They proceeded for a while, Connie's footsteps becoming white noise to the background. They came to an intersection.

"Great." Steven said, getting frustrated. "Which path do we take?" Steven asked, turning back towards Connie. Only, Connie wasn't there when he turned around. Steven's heart sank, and his blood ran cold. Had he lost her? Had she been captured? Steven could only stand in the middle of the intersection, looking around. He became disoriented, dizzy, confused, and terrified overall.

"Steven!" he heard Connie's voice shout from down the hall to his left. He perked up, and was just about to walk down that hall, when he heard Amethyst cough from the hall to his right.

"Steven? Is that you?" Amethyst called, her voice distant.

"Yes!" Steven shouted.

"Is that Amethyst's voice?" Connie asked. Steven repeated his affirmation down Connie's path, and saw something down the hall just in front of him. A light. A faint, white light. Garnet's voice called out from that hall. Her words were unintelligible, yet her sound was unmistakable. Steven looked at the other halls to either side of him, and reluctantly headed towards the light.

"Steven." said a familiar voice. Steven froze, and turned around. There she stood, impeccably clean. She merely stared at him, her gaze a harsh warning.

"P-Pearl?" Steven asked, absolutely bewildered. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. He didn't know what to do. What to choose. He couldn't leave Connie behind. He couldn't abandon Amethyst. He couldn't let Pearl go. But he had to. It seemed to be the only way. He shook his head. "I'm...I'm sorry." Steven said, the words barely escaping his dry throat. He ran down the hall with the light, the light getting closer. The light grew as Steven approached it. Matter of fact, it diverged a bit as well. The light not only grew, it elevated. Towering above him. By the time Steven arrived, they didn't even look like ways out. Either of them. They looked more like...eyes. A pink gemstone illuminated the area, yet the stone wasn't attached to a Gem. Instead, it was held by one. In this light, Steven could now clearly see that soul-chilling grin that he'd hoped would only return in his worst nightmares.

"Hello, Steven Quartz." Black Diamond greeted in her devilishly comforting tone. Steven couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. He knew he had to get out of there, but he didn't know where to go.

"I heard Garnet." Steven blurted out, trying to stay calm. "Where is she?"

"Ah, the fusion." she said, her smile even wider. "Well, how was I supposed to let yet another opportunity pass me by? I must better understand the reaction a Gem's freedo-"

"I get it!" Steven exclaimed, becoming impatient. He instantly regretted his aggression. Black Diamond's smile receded back into her dormant, vacant expression.

"What did you just say?" Black Diamond asked through gritted teeth. Steven backed away, yet Black Diamond merely got closer. "Do not ignore my question, Steven Quartz. And do. Not. Interrupt." she hissed. She stood back up.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Steven repeated, curled up into a ball. He didn't want to look Black Diamond in the eyes again, and so he kept his head down. He heard her booming footsteps begin to echo down the hall. Steven looked back up, panicked. "Wait! Where are you going?!" She did not respond. After a few minutes, all was silent and dark, just as before. He reactivated his light, and saw the Quartz gemstone Black Diamond had used lying before him on the floor. In pieces. He got up, his legs still very weak and wobbly. His lips were dry, and his mouth tasted dominantly of bland saliva. It was then that he decided it was a good time to cry. Tears streamed from his eyes, and he bawled openly in the middle of the hall. His sobs repeated all around him, as if to mock him for doing so. He had given up. He had nowhere to go. No direction. No help in sight. Left scared and alone in the middle of inky darkness. However, like a flame to the night, someone hugged him from behind, and all this hopelessness disappeared. He couldn't see anything, but he knew this hug well. Connie.

"Calm down. It's okay" Connie said, her voice as soft as silk. Steven just buried his head into her neck, hugging her as well. They embraced for a good minute, until Steven calmed down. The two of them broke away, and Steven illuminated their surroundings. Connie's eyes seemed a bit glossy as well.

"Where were you?" Steven asked.

"I was right behind you the whole time. But, you must've been hallucinating, because you thought I was Pearl." Connie replied. Steven thought for a moment, trying to take in this information.

"Hallucinating?" Steven asked. He began to piece things together, understanding what had happened. "Whatever the case. We gotta get out of here. Do you know the way out?" Connie pointed behind Steven, and Steven saw a bright light. One that was definitely an exit. "Oh. Thanks." Steven looked back at Connie, and saw that she was very concerned.

"Are you going to be okay, Steven?" she asked sweetly yet worriedly. Steven hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. Let me lead this time." she said. Steven smiled, and Connie mirrored him. The two of them walked towards the exit, Connie leading the way. Steven couldn't help but look back to make sure nobody was following them. To make sure that Pearl wasn't real.

As they exited, they were greeted by the Kindergarten valley. They were on the edge of a cliff that wasn't too shallow. Perfect width, in fact. They remained cautious, and shimmied along the side until reaching solid ground. At that point, they briefly looked themselves over, before bolting along the path from which they came. They ran back to the Roaming Eye, surprised to see it still there and open, yet unsurprised that it was empty. Even so, Steven felt awful knowing that Garnet was gone. They got in, closing the ramp. Steven sat at the control panel, the controls still confusing him. He had only tried doing this once, and even then, unsuccessfully.

"Think you can fly it?" Connie asked.

"Not sure." came the reply. Steven tried many different techniques, none of which even got it off the ground. Connie hovered her hands over it, asking to try it herself. Steven allowed her, and after quite a bit of time, the Eye ascended. "How'd you do that?" Steven asked, amazed at Connie's skill.

"Honestly? I just tried pushing random buttons and patterns until something worked." The two shared a good laugh, before spending another chunk of time controlling it. They figured out a sort of autopilot, except the panel had to be monitored at all times to ensure that it didn't get off course. About halfway through their trip, Connie spoke up. She had been sitting at the back of the ship, her head cradled in her arms, which were wrapped around her knees; a fetal position.

"Steven, I really need to know if you're okay. You were really freaking out back there." she said. Steven didn't move.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?" he said.

"You can't just ignore your problems. They'll just build up until they burst and you lash out. You have to face them head-on. Eradicate them as soon as possible." Steven thought about how to explain his experience in the halls. In the intersection. He explained it to her as he remembered it, leaving out the part with Pearl and him basically choosing to abandon her. He told her about the shattered Quartz on the floor, and how angry Black Diamond got after being interrupted. Connie just sat and listened. What else could she do? By the end of it, the two just sat silently. Steven did feel better now that he got it off his chest, and that Connie was there to listen to him through it all. Hours seemed to pass, until they finally saw the tiny silhouette of the Earth as they approached. Still quite a while away. Even so, Steven couldn't shake this feeling in his gut, as though something bad was about to happen. Hadn't the worst already been said and done?

Once they landed on the beach, Steven was so glad to see the house again. He just wanted to be home. Not just that. he thought. I just want everything to be normal again. That's when it hit him. It felt like a train speeding into his mind as he realized: He's alone. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, they're all gone. All he has left is himself and his remaining friends. And even then, they may not even last that long either. With Black Diamond now knowing where they could be, living there was a dangerous choice.

"I think we should go home." Steven said.

"What? We still have a lot of things to do! We still haven't found your dad, Amethyst, Pearl's gem, or Garnet yet. We can't just give up this late in the mission." Connie responded. "I think we should at least see what's going on with Peridot and Lapis."

"Why? What progress could they have made? They didn't say they'd search for Pearl's gem or anything."

"Then let's give them reason to." Connie started walking towards the Car Wash for the van.

"Where are you going?" Steven asked, not wanting to lose her as well. He ran after her, and she stopped as she reached the van. She turned towards him. He stopped as he reached the top of the hill, looking at her curiously. She slipped off her shoes, and Steven then understood what exactly she was planning on doing. He walked up to her, and they held hands. It was only a matter of time before they fused, so they could be able to drive the van properly. Stevonnie sat in the driver's seat, but realized that they had no idea how to drive this type of vehicle. It wasn't anywhere near as simple as the Dondai Supremo. In fact, they were impressed Greg was able to actually drive both types of cars.

They shifted gears into reverse, and tried to back out of the driveway. They stepped on the gas to hard, and nearly backed into a lamppost.

"Careful!" Stevonnie said. They slowly and carefully backed into the street, and shifted gears again. They then drove down the street at about 15 miles per hour.

Yellow Diamond sat in her chair on a much smaller ship. The fact that Black Diamond had overruled the previous, arm-shaped one came as more than just a slight annoyance or frustration. It came as a means of solidifying Black Diamond's power over everyone around her. This is what truly enraged Yellow Diamond, and what made her fear escalate. For her, there was a line between anger and fear. But, it was a very thin line that could easily be crossed. In this situation, however, it was not crossed. It was combined. Yellow Pearl stepped before the Diamond's towering figure.

"My Diamond," she began.

"This had better be good news, Pearl. And if you utter one sentence containing 'Black Diamond,' 'plague' or 'spreading,' I will see to it personally that you are immediately shattered!" Yellow Diamond declared. Her Pearl stood there, petrified with absolute terror.

"What exactly would c-constitute 'good n-news,' my Diamond?" the Pearl asked.

"That Black Diamond has been found and destroyed."

"Well, Black Di-she has not been destroyed," Yellow Diamond's anger grew. "But! We have found her." Although not being quite what she'd hoped for, Yellow Diamond was pleased by this information. She had good news after all.

"Set a course for her current location. I must show that she truly has no power, nor dominion over me or my Gems." Yellow Diamond said. Her Pearl bowed, before exiting the room. Yellow Diamond sat there, a confident smile being worn as a mask that hid her dread and doubt. She said that Black Diamond has no power over her, but she wasn't quite sure of it. Not to the point where she could actually face her, and certainly not with her seemingly expanding army. No! She doesn't need help in this. She is a Diamond, the fairest Diamond to exist! She cannot appear weak in the face of someone even more… Her dread and doubt leaked through the mask.

Stevonnie felt tired and weak. They drove for about 6 more minutes, trying to remember the path to the farm. They arrived on the dirt path, just as before. Light spilled out from the barn, which was a good sign. They got out, and decided to unfuse. Steven led the way, as he wanted to talk to them the most. Connie would stay by him, for support. As they entered the barn, they saw Lapis being the only one sitting in the middle of the barn, her back to them. They saw no sign of Peridot anywhere. Strange. Steven walked up behind Lapis, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, surprised yet relieved to see them. She did, however, seem distracted and worried.

"Where's Peridot?" Steven asked politely. Lapis simply shrugged. "Well, when was the last time you saw her?" Again, she shrugged. Now Steven became a bit worried himself. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Walking into the barn after flying from the Galaxy Warp." she replied bluntly. Connie was getting slightly annoyed with the fact that Steven wasn't discussing their idea, or even what had happened in the tunnels.

"We were wondering if you could help us." Connie interjected. Lapis and Steven looked at her, both seemingly not knowing what the proposition was. Steven then remembered why they were there.

"Oh, yeah!" he said. "We were wondering if you could clear the water away from the edges of the Galaxy Warp for us. To get Pearl's gem." Lapis looked at them for a moment, analyzing the situation.

"Where's Garnet and Amethyst?" Lapis asked, bewildered. Steven's face flushed out its warmth. The overwhelming sense of inferiority returned, and he didn't know how to respond in a way that didn't amplify it.

"Don't worry about it." Steven said, looking off to the side so as not to make eye contact. "But, can you?" Lapis thought about it, before nodding weakly. She stood up, and spread her wings.

"Though, I'm not sure I'll be able to carry both of you." Lapis clarified. Connie and Steven looked at each other, mutually agreeing to leave one of them behind. Even though they both concurred, Steven still had that voice in the back of his head telling him not to separate from her. She seems to be the only thing holding him together at this point. Whatever the case, Steven climbed on Lapis's back, and the two flew off into the starry sky. Connie stood in the doorway of the barn, watching the two of them as they left. She then sat cross-legged on the ground.

It took a good while before the two of them reached the Galaxy Warp, but they made a fairly soft landing on it. Steven then tried to remember where they were prior. He went to the center, and remembered his placement easily. He walked over to the edge where the gemstone was dropped. He didn't remember where exactly it landed, but he was sure Lapis hadn't thrown it that far. He motioned for her to help him, and she walked over beside him, looking at the reflection of the sky on the dark, glittering waves. She then reached out her hands, and spread the water away from that area, collecting it all in a large, liquid bubble that hovered far above their heads. Steven scrutinized the now exposed sand and coral, not seeing much else due to their height. He bubbled himself, and dropped into an area of water just beside the cleared portion. He rolled himself a bit, before he emerged from the wall of flowing water on the inside of the open section. He then un-bubbled, and was able to see the ground much easier. He walked around for a bit, seeing nothing but damp, mushy sand and the occasional growing coral around him. As he moved towards the edges of the clearing, Lapis opened up more area for him. He looked closely, ensuring that every grain of sand was accounted for. Every strip of seaweed. Every sprout of kelp. He began to lose hope, his heart pounding, his gut aching, and his chest compressing. Sweat watered the exposed sand beneath him, and those were joined by a few drops of tears. What if he didn't find her? What if she was officially lost to the sea, never to reform again? Then, he saw it. Just out of the corner of his eye, reflecting the moonlight off of its smooth surface just a few feet away.

Yellow Diamond's ship landed gracefully on the surface of a snow-ridden planet. As she stepped out with her troops and Pearl, she saw that the snow was contaminated with shiny, black vines and stains of illness. She saw the silhouettes of hundreds of Gems sitting on the horizon. All were still as statues, yet one stood out in particular. The tallest amongst them.

"Black Diamond!" Yellow Diamond shouted, disallowing her voice to falter. "I have come to speak with you."

"The type of speech that involves what's left of your army ganging up on mine, no doubt." she responded, her voice resonating throughout the area. She seemed to be approaching nonetheless. "Yet, curiosity is truly a seductive force." She walked up to them, standing in front of Yellow Diamond, managing to compete with her height.

"You cannot be allowed to spread your plague across the galaxy. And, you have committed crimes against the Great Diamond Authority." Yellow Diamond declared. Black Diamond gave her a confident smirk.

"Am I not a part of this authority?" she questioned.

"No, I'm afraid not. Your absence has disallowed any and all involvement with us."

"My absence, of which you and the others caused."

"Even so."

"No. You do not get to play these games with me, Yellow. Any game with me is one you will surely lose."

"I'm fairly confident you are mistaken." Black Diamond stared into Yellow Diamond's eyes. A chuckle was let out, and Black Diamond's smile grew.

"Your fear is showing." Black Diamond taunted. Yellow Diamond lost her authority in this argument, and her face devolved into one of shock. That was enough time for her Pearl to be taken from her side. "As is your Pearl."

"You dare?!" Yellow Diamond accused.

"No, you dare." Black Diamond retorted. "You dare to intrude on a planet that I have claimed. You dare to accuse me of crimes against an authority that I operate within and dictate. And you dare believe that you have the upper hand, pathetically putting on a strong exterior that further accentuates your inadequacy." Black Diamond used her finger to stab into the gemstone of the Yellow Pearl. A black liquid seemed to branch out across the stone, making its way throughout the other portions of her body. It wasn't long before her eyes were drowned in darkness, as well as her gemstone. Black fluid leaked from her mouth and nose. By the end of it, she stood upon Black Diamond's palm proudly and emotionlessly, looking as if she were ripped from an old photograph. Yellow Diamond merely looked in horror as this process took place. Black Diamond then removed her finger from the Gem.

"You monster." Yellow Diamond insulted. "You will be executed for this!"

"I don't think so." she replied. The silhouettes in the distance all grew in shape and size. They molded themselves, glowing as they changed shape. They were lined up like soldiers would in formation. They all took on the same form, it seemed. They all shifted into the form of Black Diamond, and continued to stand there menacingly. "In fact, I don't think you'll even leave this planet." Black Diamond stared directly into the eyes of Yellow Diamond, grinning maniacally while doing so.

Steven rushed over to Pearl's gem, lodged conveniently between two rocks of different sizes. He grabbed it, recognizing the size and texture of it well, and hugged it to his chest. He bubbled himself, giving Lapis the incentive to return him there. Water rushed around him, and he held onto the gem as tightly as he could. Once he was placed back on the Galaxy Warp, he pocketed it. He and Lapis then flew back to the barn. This ordeal certainly cheered Steven up, and distracted him from the fact that the other two Crystal Gems were still gone. As they landed back in front of the barn, Steven was even more delighted to find Connie still there. Steven hugged her, with her hesitantly returning the embrace. Steven then displayed Pearl's gem to her, showing that he had found it at last. Connie, too, seemed elated at this turn of events.

"Good work!" Connie congratulated. "I'd imagine it was pretty hard to find."

"You wouldn't believe. I actually started to give up before it caught my eye." he said.

"But," Lapis added, "what now?" The other two looked at her, not knowing what to say. Steven hadn't planned that far ahead. He had the objective of finding Pearl's gem again, yet didn't think about what was to be done afterwards. He turned the gem over in his hands, looking at it intently. Before he could look at it any longer, he felt a stabbing pain in his gut. With this pain came a tingling sensation, akin to that of circulation loss.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Connie asked, surprised and concerned.

"I...I don't k-know!" Steven managed through the pain. He lifted up his shirt, attempting to possibly identify the source of such agony. There, he saw it. His gem was a dark, faded shade of pink, and around it was an overlapping texture of black veins. "It...it's still there! She's still there!" Steven screamed, both in terror and in torment.

"Well, what do we...what do we do?!" Connie asked frantically. She tried to search for a way to clean his gem, or to find some way of disinfecting it. Lapis formed a bubble of water from the contents of a bucket, and tried splashing it on Steven's belly. Then she tried to keep it submerged. Nothing happened. Both Connie and Lapis seemed panicked and worried for Steven, not knowing what to do. Connie tried something else. She took Pearl's gem, and placed it against Steven's. She waited desperately for something to happen. She noticed a slight change in shade in both gems, but nothing else happened. Tears filled Connie's eyes. She couldn't bear to see her friend in this state. She wanted nothing more than to help him by any means necessary. Lapis looked on in fear, trying drastic measures to help Steven, even going so far as to attempt to remove his gem. Steven could only lay there, writhing in pain that coursed through his very soul. He couldn't think. He could hardly breathe. The last thing he saw before drifting into silent, endless darkness, were two of his remaining friends desperately attempting to save him.

Blue Diamond sat upon her throne. She looked at Homeworld as it was displayed. It seemed like a glorious painting of a landscape, all presented purely for her enjoyment. Her Pearl entered the room, saluting her as usual.

"My Diamond, it seems we have lost communication with Yellow Diamond." the Pearl reported.

"Indeed? Where were they last?" Blue Diamond inquired.

"A planet previously uncharted. A snowy planet about half a light year away."

"Oh. That should not have been uncharted, as I've visited that planet before. All the Diamonds have." Blue Diamond glanced at her Pearl. "All of them." she added, silently. Her Pearl couldn't help but notice that she seemed eerily calm. True, she usually kept a reserved demeanor, yet this seemed different. Frightening, even. Her Pearl bowed, before leaving the room. Blue Diamond stayed very still, observing the world outside, pleased with what was displayed.

And, that was part 2! I'm sorry that this one's shorter than the last one, I just felt a little rushed to write this one. It's fine though, I hope you still enjoyed it! I have some big things planned for part 3, and I'm not sure when that will be posted. But, what better time to post this than the week of Thanksgiving? Thank you all for supporting me and this story, I'm really excited to continue writing!